BJP MLA slaps Bihar Minister with case over Modi insult

Patna, March 2 (IANS) A BJP legislator on Thursday filed a case against Bihar Excise and Prohibition Minister Abdul Jalil Mastan over a video clip that showed him asking people to beat Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photograph with shoes.

"I have lodged a case against Mastan in the Kotwali police station of Patna and demanded proper action," Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Nitin Navin said here.

He said the state police should now initiate action against Mastan. "I have demanded arrest of Mastan and a probe into his nationality."

Mastan, referring to the opposition BJP demand for his sack from the council of ministers, told the media that he had already apologised for his statement if it had hurt some people.

"Even after I said sorry, if BJP is not ready to accept it, please go ahead and hang me for what I said about PM Modi," Mastan said.

Mastan is a Congress leader and the only minister from the backward and under-developed Seemanchal belt, which comprises Purnia, Kishanganj, Araria and Katihar districts, with sizeable Muslim population.

The BJP members demanded that either Mastan should resign or be removed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his insult to Modi. They created noisy scenes over the issue, rushed to the well of the house and shouted slogans.

On February 22, the Excise Minister in his video, which was telecast by a Hindi news channel, also condemned the central government's November 8, 2016, demonetisation move. In no time, the video went viral on the social media.

In the video, Mastan was seen addressing a crowd in Purnia district's Amour assembly constituency and saying that it was Modi who had promised to face punishment if he failed to end people's woes within 50 days. He then suggested that the crowd should beat Modi's photograph with their shoes.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)